American Public Ready for National Curriculum, Achievement Standards, Annual Gallup Poll Finds

The American public would welcome the establishment of national
achievement standards and a national curriculum for public schools,
according to the annual Gallup Poll on education.

Seventy percent of the 1,584 adults surveyed last spring said they
favor requiring local schools "to conform to national achievement
standards and goals"; 77 percent endorsed the idea of testing students
to determine whether they meet those standards. Sixty-nine percent of
those surveyed voiced support for the institution of a "standardized
national curriculum."

These views represent a shift from earlier surveys, which "generally
supported the American tradition of local control of schools," the poll
said. While the public may still endorse that tradition, and, as
suggested by past polls, look askance at federal intervention, "a
consensus appears to be building for more uniformity in public-school
programs," the poll reported.

Former Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell, who served on the
advisory panel for the poll, greeted the findings warmly. "I'm a strong
advocate of more central focus on education, more concern on the
national level," he said. This could be achieved, he added, while
"still leaving enough latitude for local control."

Although 61 percent of those favoring national achievement
standards think professional educators should set them, Mary Hatwood
Futrell, the former president of the National Education Association,
viewed the idea more warily.

The n.e.a. would "be willing to sit down and talk" with proponents
of the concept, she said. But Ms. Futrell emphasized the need for
increased funds to implement such a program. "You can't have uniform
national standards without uniform national funding," she said.

Americans also favor the notion of school choice by a wide margin,
although they are less sure it will have a salutary effect, the poll
reported.

Three-fifths of those polled favor "allowing students and their
parents to choose which public schools in [their] community the
students attend." Yet 52 percent said they thought school choice would
have little, or even a negative, effect on student achievement.

Despite this apparent ambivalence, Secretary of Education Lauro F.
Cavazos welcomed the findings. He cited the poll as evidence the public
supports the Bush Administration's reform agenda, "with school choice
as the cornerstone."

For the fourth consecutive year, drug abuse was most often cited as
the "biggest problem" for public8schools. Thirty-four percent said drug
use was their schools' most pressing problem, while 19 percent cited
"lack of discipline," and 13 percent "lack of proper financial
support."

As in previous years, the poll asked respondents to grade their
schools. Forty-three percent of those polled gave their local schools
an A or B, compared with 40 percent last year.

Among the poll's other findings:

Eighty-three percent of those polled think "more should be done" to
improve schools in poorer communities; 62 percent of that group were
willing to pay higher taxes to fund such improvements.

Sixty-three percent of those surveyed favor giving school principals
more authority.

Forty-eight percent favor lengthening the school day or year, but 44
percent oppose such moves.

Sixty-one percent think students ought to be required to perform
community service as a prerequisite to graduation.

Eighty-three percent favor more government assistance for
college-bound students.

The poll was sponsored by Phi Delta Kappa, the professional
education fraternity. Copies of the poll are available from Phi Delta
Kappa, P.O. Box 789, Bloomington, Ind. 47402. The cost is $10 for 25
copies.

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